Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)

UK former constituency infobox
Name = Accrington
Type = Borough
Year = 1918
Abolition = 1983
members = one

UK former constituency infobox
Name = Accrington
Type = County
Year = 1885
Abolition = 1918
members = one

Accrington was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

History

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. The original county constituency was replaced by a borough constituency for the 1918 general election. The constituency was based on the town of Accrington.

From the 1983 general election the constituency was abolished. The successor seat was Hyndburn, named after the local government area including the town of Accrington. 85.5% of the new seat came from the former Accrington constituency.

Boundaries

This constituency was part of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England.

1885-1918

The constituency, officially named North East Lancashire, Accrington Division consisted of the Municipal Borough of Accrington, and the parishes Altham, Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Hapton, Huncoat, Oswaldtwistle, and Rishton. ["Seventh Schedule: Counties at Large, Part I: England", Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 (C.23)]

Neighbouring constituencies were Blackburn to the south west and Burnley to the north east and Darwen to the north. Accrington also had short boundaries with Clitheroe at both its north and east borders and Rossendale to the south and south east.

1918-1983

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised constituencies throughout Great Britain. Constituencies were defined in terms of the districts created by the Local Government Act 1894.

The Parliamentary Borough of Accrington consisted of the Municipal Borough of Accrington and the Urban Districts of Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Oswaldtwistle, and Rishton. The three parishes of Altham, Hapton and Huncoat passed to the Clitheroe constituency. ["Ninth Schedule, Part 1(2): Parliamentary Boroughs, England excluding London and Monmouthshire", Representation of the People Act, 1918 (C.64)]

The Representation of the People Act 1948 replaced the term "parliamentary borough" with "borough constituency". The Accrington Borough Constituency was defined in the same terms as in the 1918 legislation. However there were boundary changes reflecting local government changes in the 1930s: the Huncoats area rejoined the constituency as the parish had been absorbed by the Borough of Accrington, while an enlargement of the county borough of Blackburn took away part of Rishton. [F A Youngs Jr., "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England", Vol II: Northern England, London, 1991] These boundaries were first used in the 1950 general election.

Abolition

In 1974 local government in England and Wales was reorganised. However parliamentary boundaries were not altered until 1983. The "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" created new constituencies based on the new districts. A new Hyndburn Borough Constituency was formed. The new seat included the whole of the Accrington constituency with the addition of Altham and Great Harwood. [The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983 No. 417)]

Member of Parliament

Note:-
* ¹ Edwards contested the 1924 election as a Constitutionalist, with Liberal and Conservative support, but he took the Liberal Whip in the 1924-1929 Parliament.

Elections

References

* "Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
* "British Parliamentary Constituencies: A Statistical Compendium", by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber 1984)
* "British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
* "British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
* "British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
* "Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918", edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
* "Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945", edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
* "Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979", edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)